Scientific name: Anhinga novaehollandiae
Family: Anhingidae (darters)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Australasian darter is found throughout Australasia in shallow coastal and inland water bodies including Long Reef. Their diet mainly consists of fish but they also eat amphibians, terrapins, aquatic invertebrates and vegetable matter. They capture their prey by spearing them underwater and then swallow them whole before spreading their non-waterproof wings to dry.

Scientific name: Gymnorhina tibicen
Family: Artamidae (Currawongs and Allies)
Group: Bush/Garden/Common birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Australian magpie is a medium-sized passerine known for its warbling song that is native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Belonging to the Gymnorhina genus, it originated around 60 million years ago. Male magpies have white napes, upper tails, and shoulders, females have mottled grey backs. They are insectivorous and omnivorous birds.

- Photo by Mary Clarkson.

Scientific name: Pelecanus conspicillatus
Family: Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia and Tasmania in estuaries, rivers, lakes, and mud-flats. It breeds in colonies with nests in ground hollows spaced 3-4 feet apart, and occasionally on coastal islets that supporting up to 150-200 nests. Their diet consists mainly of small fish, supplemented with shrimp and prawns. They are iconic coastal birds.

Scientific name: Threskiornis molucca
Family: Threskiornithidae (Ibises and spoonbills)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Australian White Ibis or ‘bin chicken’ is very common throughout most of mainland Australia, in urban areas and natural waterbodies. They eat many different types of food, including crayfish, mussels and insects, but some populations rely on human scraps.  To mate they perform a noisy courtship ceremony involving a twig and then fly to nest in large colonies.

Scientific name: Elanus axillaris
Family: Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
Group: Birds of Prey
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Black‑shouldered Kite is a small raptor, often seen hovering to catch small rodent prey like mice. It mainly inhabits treed grasslands and crop fields across Australia, nesting in high trees or on structures like poles. These kites form monogamous pairs through courtship involving mid‑air feeding and aerial acrobatics. They lay 2‑5 eggs, hatching in about 34 days.

Scientific name: Acridotheres tristis
Family: Sturnidae (Starlings)
Group: INVASIVE
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Common Myna is an invasive pest commonly seen on the Long Reef headland. It outcompetes native bird species for food and nests due to its aggressiveness and opportunistic behaviour. It is found throughout east and south east Australia near human habitation. It is a scavenger that eats a wide variety of foods like insects, fruits, scraps, and sparrow fledglings.

Scientific name: Phalacrocorax carbo
Family: Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Great Cormorant is the largest of the Australian cormorants, with mostly black plumage and a white chin. It feeds on fish, crustaceans, and frogs, diving underwater to capture prey. Found in both freshwater and coastal habitats, it forms large colonies, where both parents build the nest and care for 3 to 4 eggs. Breeding occurs from August to January.

Scientific name: Thalasseus bergii
Family: Laridae (gulls, terns, skimmers)
Group: Seabirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Great Crested Tern is found along the coasts of the Pacific and Indian Ocean, including Australia, but usually nests in large colonies on offshore islands. Some populations follow migratory patterns and some remain in the same location, depending on conditions. Their diet mainly consists of fish that it finds offshore or in estuaries by diving up to a meter into the water.

Scientific name: Ardea alba
Bird family: Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, Bitterns)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Great Egret is a member of the heron family, known for its white plumage and long neck. During breeding, its bill turns black, and its facial skin becomes green, while long feathers and pinkish-yellow legs appear. It feeds on fish, frogs, and small mammals, using its sharp bill to impale prey. These egrets nest in colonies, with both parents incubating 2-3 eggs.

Scientific name: Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Family: Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)
Group: Waterbirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Little Black Cormorant is commonly seen drying its non-waterproof wings after duck diving to catch fish and crustaceans.They are found in coastal and freshwater environments throughout Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia. Along with other species of cormorants and darters, they form large breeding colonies and can form flocks to fish cooperatively.

Scientific name: Cacatua sanguinea
Family: Cacatuidae (cockatoos)
Group: Bush/Garden/Common birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

Little Corellas can be seen in large flocks throughout most of Australia, mostly feeding on grains, grass seeds, bulbs and certain fruits. Their range and numbers are expanding due to land clearing and increases in water bodies. They mate for life and begin breeding at the start of a long period of rain, and then nest in tree hollows where both parents incubate the eggs.

Scientific name: Tringa brevipes
Bird family: Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and allies)
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Grey-tailed Tattler is found on the coast throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand during the non-breeding season. They forage on intertidal mudflats like Long Reef where it catches crustaceans, molluscs, crabs and fish. They then migrate to breed in the mountains and tundra of Siberia, where they nest on stony riverbeds and usually lay four eggs.

Scientific name: Vanellus miles
Family: Charadriidae (plovers and lapwings)
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Masked Lapwing or plover is a very common bird known for its aggression during the breeding season. They are found in marshes, mudflats, grasslands and open urban areas in Indonesia, New Zealand and North, Central and East Australia. They lay 3-5 eggs in nests that are shallow scrapes on the ground, and their diet consists of insects, worms and snails.

Scientific name: Falco cenchroides
Bird family: Falconidae (falcons)
Group: Birds of prey
Status: Least Concern (LC)

A Nankeen Kestrel family nests near Collaroy Rock Pool on Long Reef, hunting from light poles in the mid-90s. The mother feeds her young with meat on the fence. Kestrels use cliff ledges for nesting, often hovering five meters above the ground. Their territory spans headland cliffs, golf course grasslands, and the surrounding Collaroy Rock Pool area, thriving amidst coastal landscapes.

Scientific name: Pandion haliaetus
Family: Pandionidae (Ospreys)
Group: Birds of Prey
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Osprey is commonly seen on the Long Reef rock platform, hovering above the headland, or sitting in trees. It lives all over the world near lakes, rivers and the ocean where it plunges feet first to catch fish. Their courtship ceremony involves a pair circling each other mid air, and then build nests high up in trees where they lay 2-4 cream eggs blotched with brown.

Scientific name: Haematopus longirostris
Family: Oystercatchers
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Pied Oystercatcher, seen alone, in pairs, or small groups, gathers at high tide on Long Reef Point and feeds on bivalve mollusks at low tide, using its strong red bill. Its diet includes bivalves, crustaceans, and marine animals. Nests are shallow depressions in seaweed or broken coral above high water, holding two or three stone-colored eggs streaked blackish brown.

Scientific name: Calidris ruficollis
Family: Scolopacidae (sandpipers and allies)
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Near Threatened (NT)

The Red-necked Stint is a very small and skittish bird that is often found in large mixed-species flocks. They are found along the Australian coast during the summer before migrating to Siberia and Alaska for breeding. They are frequently seen foraging in the intertidal zone at Long Reef for crustaceans and molluscs, and can be found in coastal wetlands eating insects and plants

Scientific name: Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Family: Laridae (gulls, terns, skimmers)
Group: Seabirds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Silver Gull or Seagull is known for stealing food and pestering humans for scraps, however its natural diet includes fish, insects, eggs, seeds, worms, and crustaceans. They are abundant throughout the coastal regions of New Zealand and Australia, including beaches and cities, but nests in large colonies on offshore islands.

Scientific name: Haematopus fuliginosus
Family: Oystercatchers
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Sooty Oystercatcher can be found in small mixed-species groups at Long Reef and other mudflats along the Australian Coast. Their rapidly growing beaks can change shape within three weeks depending on their diet, which consists of bivalve mollusks, crustaceans and other small marine animals. They nest in shallow depressions among pebbles or shells on rocky cliffs.

Scientific name: Cacatua galerita
Family: Cacatuidae (cockatoos)
Group: Bush/Garden/Common birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

Sulfur-crested Cockatoos are frequently spotted on the Long Reef headland in large flocks, often exceeding a hundred individuals. They can be found in Papua New Guinea, and north, east, south east and south west in Australia. They are monogamous and lay two to three eggs in tree hollows. Their diet typically consists of seeds, berries, nuts, insects and human food.

Scientific name: Malurus cyaneus
Family: Maluridae (Fairywrens and Allies)
Group: Small insect eating birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

Superb Fairy Wrens thrive on Long Reef behind the sand dunes. Over fifty were seen one morning, but the elusive blue males are elusive. Ten family groups were observed, each with a dominant male, mate, and young. They feed on insects and roost in dense foliage at night. Breeding from August to January involves cooperative efforts among family members.

Scientific name: Hirundo neoxena
Family: Hirundinidae (swallows and martins)
Group: Small insect-eating birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Welcome Swallow is a small and agile bird common across Australia, that can be seen catching flying insects on the Eastern slopes of Long Reef in the morning. They build cup-like nests out of mud and grass, usually on building walls, where it lays 3-5 pink eggs with brown speckles. They were named ‘welcome’ by sailors as they were the first sign that land was close.

Scientific name: Haliaeetus leucogaster
Family: Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
Group: Birds of prey
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Sea Eagle, often seen singly or in pairs, is common over Long Reef. It has a slow, buoyant flight, seeking live fish below. Their diet includes fish, crabs, sea snakes, and marine animals. Nesting in large nests of mangrove sticks atop trees, they lay two bluish-white eggs streaked with chocolate brown, typically from August to October.

Scientific name: Egretta novaehollandiae
Family: Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Group: Shorebirds and waders
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The White Faced Heron is a common bird, found alone, in pairs, or in small groups near waterholes, swamps, and creeks. It thrives in salt or fresh water and may roam low-lying areas in winter. The larger White-necked Heron favours fresh water lagoons and dams, nesting on eucalypt limbs over water with three to four bluish-green eggs from September to January.

Scientific name: Rhipidura leucophrys
Family: Rhipiduridae (Fantails)
Group: Bush/Garden/Common birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

Willy Wagtails are chatty birds that are found throughout most habitats in Australia particularly in grasslands and open spaces. They eat a variety of insects and forages by wagging its tail side to side with a sudden flash of its wings to expose insects hidden underneath the soil. Breeding season is typically between August and January when a clutch of three to four eggs are laid.

Scientific name: Zanda funerea
Family: Cacatuidae (cockatoos)
Group: Bush/Garden/Common birds
Status: Least Concern (LC)

The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo can be found throughout Southern and Eastern Australia, usually in eucalypt woodlands and pine plantations. Unfortunately due to the destruction of these habitats their population numbers have been rapidly declining. They nest in large tree hollows, and they feed on seeds from native trees like banksia and extract insect larvae.